Homosexual Men

The spread of the AIDS virus among homosexual men in Los Angeles has slowed in the last three years, UCLA researchers said. In a study group of 1,637 homosexual men, the incidence of new cases of virus was up more than 10% in 1984 but now is increasing at rates as low as 1% to 2% annually, said Dr. Roger Detels, a UCLA professor of epidemiology who headed the study coordinated through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

BEIJING - Orgies and anal sex hardly seem the usual fodder of traditional Chinese folk art, but that is exactly what one Chinese artist is depicting in a series of provocative paper-cuts that are now being exhibited in Los Angeles for the first time. Paper-cuts originated in Eastern Han Dynasty China (AD 25-220) and are hung on windows or doors for good luck. But instead of the usual decorative flowers and birds, Xiyadie, whose pseudonym means "Siberian Butterfly," portrays graphic and daring depictions of homosexual love - long considered taboo in China.

About 14,000 cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported worldwide by the end of August, and there are several million virus carriers capable of infecting others, the World Health Organization reported from Geneva. In Mexico, Secretary of Health Guillermo Soberon Acevedo denied published reports that authorities will check incoming foreigners for possible contagion of the usually fatal disease, which primarily strikes homosexual men and intravenous drug users.

I was deeply offended by the article regarding bisexual men and how to "spot" them ["When 'Brokeback' Leads to Heartbreak," March 2]. I am an educator for the Los Angeles School District. One of my job responsibilities is to educate administrators, teachers, students and parents in regard to the rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) population. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but in public schools across the country LGBT persons are the main target of bias, bullying and harassment.

Early results of a four-year examination of 800 homosexual men in San Francisco's Castro District shows half have been infected with the Aids virus and at least half of those still carry the deadly disease, according to the researcher leading the study. Warren Winkelstein Jr., professor of epidemiology at UC Berkeley, also said that the study seems to confirm that the risk of infection is far greater for those who have a high number of partners and those who practice anal intercourse.

UCLA researchers have discovered more evidence that the brains of homosexual males are fundamentally different from those of heterosexuals. Studying brains obtained from autopsies, they have found that an important structure connecting the left and right sides of the brain, already known to be larger in women than in men, is larger still in homosexual men.

I was deeply offended by the article regarding bisexual men and how to "spot" them ["When 'Brokeback' Leads to Heartbreak," March 2]. I am an educator for the Los Angeles School District. One of my job responsibilities is to educate administrators, teachers, students and parents in regard to the rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) population. I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but in public schools across the country LGBT persons are the main target of bias, bullying and harassment.

BEIJING - Orgies and anal sex hardly seem the usual fodder of traditional Chinese folk art, but that is exactly what one Chinese artist is depicting in a series of provocative paper-cuts that are now being exhibited in Los Angeles for the first time. Paper-cuts originated in Eastern Han Dynasty China (AD 25-220) and are hung on windows or doors for good luck. But instead of the usual decorative flowers and birds, Xiyadie, whose pseudonym means "Siberian Butterfly," portrays graphic and daring depictions of homosexual love - long considered taboo in China.

Each weekday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ernest Cobarrubias sits at his desk at the Hall of Justice Jail, with a pocket guide to gay bars at his side. One by one, inmates are led into the room, which doubles as the jail barbershop. "When did you last have sex with a woman?" Cobarrubias asks, facing the inmate from across the desk. "What gay bars and bathhouses do you go to?" "How long have you been gay?"

Health officials say the spread of AIDS in San Francisco has leveled off for the first time, and they credit educational efforts about taking precautions against the fatal disease. But the plateau could be temporary if homosexual men quit using condoms during sex, said Dr. Dean Echenberg, head of communicable disease control for San Francisco. No other large city has reported a leveling trend in AIDS cases, said Chuck Fallis, a spokesman at the national Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Gays and lesbians who want to come out of the closet on Friday--National Coming Out Day--can call an Orange County talk line: (714) 975-0866 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The line is sponsored by Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Detail Public Relations and ECCO. Ongoing-support lines include the Orange County Federation, (714) 450-3113; Casa Delhi Entre Hombres, (714) 568-0496; Gay Vietnamese Alliance, (714) 449-8027; and PFLAG, (714) 997-8047.

Researchers have found a new anatomical difference in the brain structure of homosexual men and heterosexual men, a discovery that supports a theory that sexual orientation may be set by nature. UCLA School of Medicine scientists Laura Allen and Roger Gorski report that in autopsy studies they found a brain structure called the anterior commissure to be 34% larger in homosexual males than in straight males.

UCLA researchers have discovered more evidence that the brains of homosexual males are fundamentally different from those of heterosexuals. Studying brains obtained from autopsies, they have found that an important structure connecting the left and right sides of the brain, already known to be larger in women than in men, is larger still in homosexual men.

"Hogwash" is how Irv Sittler describes the new study that found differences in the brains of gay and heterosexual men. But like many others, he is intrigued by the idea that a physical trait might indicate sexual orientation. "What if you could open up someone's brain and measure it for gayness?" Sittler, who is gay, said Friday as he stood outside A Different Light, a gay and lesbian bookstore in West Hollywood. "Men who are trying to hide (their homosexuality) will panic."

Each weekday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ernest Cobarrubias sits at his desk at the Hall of Justice Jail, with a pocket guide to gay bars at his side. One by one, inmates are led into the room, which doubles as the jail barbershop. "When did you last have sex with a woman?" Cobarrubias asks, facing the inmate from across the desk. "What gay bars and bathhouses do you go to?" "How long have you been gay?"

Surgeon Gen. C. Everett Koop, the most colorful and activist surgeon general in the nation's history, informed the White House on Thursday that he will leave his post July 13 and retire from government service Oct. 1. Koop, en route to a meeting of the World Health Organization in Geneva, refused to speak with reporters, but sources close to him said that he is expected "to continue to do essentially what (he has) been doing, but without government portfolio," including speaking out on AIDS issues and continuing his war against tobacco.

Gays and lesbians who want to come out of the closet on Friday--National Coming Out Day--can call an Orange County talk line: (714) 975-0866 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The line is sponsored by Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Detail Public Relations and ECCO. Ongoing-support lines include the Orange County Federation, (714) 450-3113; Casa Delhi Entre Hombres, (714) 568-0496; Gay Vietnamese Alliance, (714) 449-8027; and PFLAG, (714) 997-8047.

"Hogwash" is how Irv Sittler describes the new study that found differences in the brains of gay and heterosexual men. But like many others, he is intrigued by the idea that a physical trait might indicate sexual orientation. "What if you could open up someone's brain and measure it for gayness?" Sittler, who is gay, said Friday as he stood outside A Different Light, a gay and lesbian bookstore in West Hollywood. "Men who are trying to hide (their homosexuality) will panic."

The spread of the AIDS virus among homosexual men in Los Angeles has slowed in the last three years, UCLA researchers said. In a study group of 1,637 homosexual men, the incidence of new cases of virus was up more than 10% in 1984 but now is increasing at rates as low as 1% to 2% annually, said Dr. Roger Detels, a UCLA professor of epidemiology who headed the study coordinated through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Early results of a four-year examination of 800 homosexual men in San Francisco's Castro District shows half have been infected with the Aids virus and at least half of those still carry the deadly disease, according to the researcher leading the study. Warren Winkelstein Jr., professor of epidemiology at UC Berkeley, also said that the study seems to confirm that the risk of infection is far greater for those who have a high number of partners and those who practice anal intercourse.